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Hello everyone,

Delaware had a peaceful weekend that continued into Monday.

The focus was on Wilmington, but protests took place throughout the state over the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police officers. Even Middletown saw a turnout in the hundreds.

Plenty of precautions were taken in Wilmington with a substantial police presence in place.

But protesters of all races remain determined in their desire for changing an environment where bias is a fact of life in a COVID-19 environment where the economic divide has widened. 

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The May employment report for the U.S. showed a surprising jobless rate of 13.3 percent (estimates of up to 20 percent had been predicted).

By contrast, the jobless figure for  African Americans was 16.8 percent., with Hispanic numbers above that figure.  The percentage for whites was 12.4 percent. 

As for police issues, we only have to go back to last year when a young officer handcuffed an  AstraZeneca executive outside his Chadds Ford  home,

Last week, there was no  “we are the world” unity moment leading up to the Wilmington protest.

A  DelawareOnline story  outlined a meeting as Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and Gov. John Carney attempted to convince organizers to postpone the event.

Both the mayor and governor are cautious sorts and were fully aware of the anger that erupted in largely white areas as video footage showed the looting that took place on Market Street the previous weekend.

A look back at the troubled history of the city is useful.

A half-century ago, Charles Terry, a one-term Democratic governor, ordered a lengthy occupation of the city by the National Guard during and after unrest  that followed the death of Dr. Martin Luther King.  Terry later did the same at Delaware State University. The actions left the state as a poster child for the nation’s racial divide and inflicted a wound that never healed.

Terry initially enjoyed broad support for his get-tough stance but the business community and other forces finally tired of the turmoil and national attention. The former Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice was voted out by DuPoter and liberal  Republican  Russell Peterson. 

Terry died a few years later. He still has the Dover campus of Delaware Technical Community College named in his honor.

Purzycki reportedly pointed to the vast swath of empty office space in making the case for postponement and the need to lower the temperature.

The mayor did pledge with no strings attached to have body cameras on city police after years of foot-dragging.

Protesters did not back down and the peaceful event went forward.

One name to remember is City Council candidate Coby Owens who led the diverse group of protesters and delivered a clear, urgent message.

Owens faces a tough road ahead in gaining further criminal justice and police reforms in a state where residents typically give law enforcement wide latitude once the news cycle ends.

But things are changing, and government leaders and the business community know it is no longer business as usual. Last week,  trade associations, business groups, and corporate Delaware were quick to issue statements decrying racism. 

It was a  step in the right direction.

Even before the COVID-19 crisis took hold, there were signs that corporations here and elsewhere were becoming less diverse as downsizing and retirements seemed to reduce the ranks of black, brown and female faces in corner offices and middle management.

Gov. Carney, more than once last week, repeated  one of his  father’s favorite expressions, “Talk is cheap.” It’s something the powers that be needed to keep in mind. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.

 

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